Radiator shutter and shell assembly for automobiles



28, 1933. Q B EN 1,899,323

RADIATOR SHUTTER AND SHELL ASSEMBLY FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l 'M/en Lge. Greed- Feb. 28, 1933. L B RE N 1,899,323

RADIATOR SHUTTER AND SHELL ASSEMBLY FOR AUTOQOBILES Filed July 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 28, 1933. 1 B. GREEN 1,899,323

RADIATOR SHUTTER AND SHELL ASSEMBLY FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Lee Cree/7 aims to provide a relatively simple and weather can easily LEE B. GREEN, or

Patented Feb. .28. 1933 LAKEWOOD; OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 nanrn'ron I Application filed il'uly 21,

My invention relates to radiator-coreenclosiug shells for automobiles, and to frontal guard attachments for such radiator core housings; and in one of its broad aspectsaims toprovide a radiator shell (or shell-front) and guard assembly which will permit an expeditious attaching, or detaching of a frontal guard for the radiatorcore without requiring any fastenings to be made. to the core or any manipulation behind or inside the shell.

In one of its general obj ects,'my invention inexpensive radiator shell: designed to present a frontal opening for admitting air to the radiator core; and alsodesigned for the convenient and speedy attaching of a shutter or other guard directly and solely to the shell; so that the shell front will serve .as thesole support for the attached shutter 'or other guard, and so thattheshutter needed in cold be exchanged for a grille or other guard in warm weather without requiring a detaching or even loosening of any part of the'sliell.

. Moreover, my invention aims to provide a radiator shell for this purpose which will beeasily manufactured an rigid, and one which will appearance and expose no bolt or the like when the guard is removed. I

In a further object, my invention aims to provide a guard attachment designed to be speedily attached to and detachedfrom, and properly centered upon, the panel front of a radiator shell by operating entirely from thc front of'the shell- For this purpose .myinrention aims to provide aradiator shell front having portions thereof interfitting the frame portions of the guard attachment and having the shellfront disposed for engagement by hook members I which extend only :through the attachment and which hook members will permit the securingof the attachment. to the shell to be effected speedily and entirely from the front of the attachment. i I I v In still anotherobject, my invention aims perforations assembly in which'the shell front can be to provide a radiator shelland shutter front spaced sufiicientlyforward from the radiator core to permit the shutters to operate between the face ofthe shutter frontacand the core,

to the present a finished snu'r'rnnnnn SHELL ASSEMBLY ro nnn'rouonrnns 1931. Serial No. 552,119. I

While still permittinga detaching of the enwhen desired; "andaims tire shutter assembly tosecure a firm fastening of the shutter. front tening j elements through the radiatorycore, or to be threaded into the core.

Moreover, my invention aims tic-provide a front and guard assembly which 'willpresent no unsightly gaps at the periphery of the guard, which will require frame when the radiator-enclosure no separately formed shutter guard is of a shutter type, and which will permit the guard attachment to simulate the appearance of a much larger shutter than the actual assembly of shutter blades.

Furthermore, my invention aims to provide a radiator-enclosure front and guard assem bly in which one of the main members has portions thereof arranged so as to besprung sufficiently during the attaching of the guard so as to lock the attaching means loosening.

away.

. Fig. 2is same guard assembly alone,

a fragmentary plan viewof the same scale as Fig. 1. I Fig.3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig.1, and drawn on a scale largerthan Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is anenlarged longitudinally of the radiator core through the upper part of the radiator core and andv throughthe parts adjacent thereto, this being taken along the line H of Fig. 1.

:srnr'. GLOBE mourns & ermine drawn on the shell front without requiring anyfas- V against Still further and also more detailed ob- I from the following'spech I assembly em-, I bodying my invention, with portions brokenv I vertical section taken I Fig. 5 is a similarly enlargedvertical sec.-

tion taken alongthe line 5-5 of Fig. Fig. 6'is a section similar. to part of Fig. 3, showing the position of a "hook member during the attaching of the shutter-type guard assembly. I

FigsJ'L-S and 9 are sections similarto part of Fig. 3, showing'variatio'ns, o interengaging. formations on the radiator f the ZOI - sirably is integral short in proportion to the side portion or of the edge portion against the shell front,and to permit this of the guard assembly. perspective view of a frame guard assembly of Figs. 1, 2,

front and the frame Fig. 10 is a portion of the 3 and 6.

Fig. 11 is a section similar to Fig. 3, showing the use of my invention in connection with a radiator enclosure in which the stationary frontal member does not extend alongside or above the radiator core.

Fig. 12 is an elevation of a grille-type guard assembly for use interchangeably with the shutter-type guard attachments of the previous figures. i

Fig. 13 is an enlargement of a portion of Fi 12.

Fig. 14 is a section taken along the line 14-14 of Fig. 13. I

In accomplishing the vention after the manner here illustrated, provide a panel-type radiator front 1 rigidly supported on the chassis of the automobile. This front is formed of sheetnietal and-dewith a top flange 2 and side flanges 3, all'of which flanges extend rearwardly from the front 1 after the manner customary in radiator shells, the width of these flanges depending on the forward reach of the hood portions of the car and being immaterial as far as myinvention is concerned. 1

The shell front l-has a- (desirably narrow) portion 1A adjacent to the frontal opening 4 oflset rearwardly, as shown in Figs. 3" and 6, this rearwardly offset portion preferably being of uniform width and extending entirely around the opening; and'th'e shell front also has rearwardly directed flanges 5 along the top, bottom and both side edges of the said opening. These flanges may be quite spacing between the shell front from the radiatorcore 6, but are preferably of uniform width, and each such flange 5 is desirably stiffened by a metal reinforcing strip 7 which bears 'flatwise J against the outwardly directed face of the flange and is welded to the latter, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. Thus formed, the. shell front (or o-called radiator front) presents an annular recessed part extending around and ad acent to. the opening inthis front, which recessed part has the forwardly facing portion 1A disposed for having a rim portion of a shutter or grille attachment bear rearwardly against it, and has theoutward outward wall 1B of the annular recess disposed for engaging the pe riphery of such an attachment to center the latter with respect to theshell front.

To secure a firm and non-rattling bearing of such an attachment attachment to be fastened easily from this front without reaching behind any part of the shell, I desirably employ the attachment edge formation and the simple attaching edge portion of this blank is recurved to purposes of my in means which is shown in sive as employed in connection with a radiator shutter attachment.

In this embodiment, the body member or shutterraining member of the attachment, is desirably formed from a sheet metal blank of somewhat greater dimensions than the re cess bordered by the rearwardly extending recess edge 1B of the radiator front, and the presents. narrow flange 8 behind a forwardly facing bead front 9 adjacent to the exposed frontal edge part of the finished attachment, the part 10 connecting the flange 8 with the bead front ,9 being curved so as to fit snugly against the curved juncture of the front portions 1A andlB as shown in Fig.

The bead front 9 of the attachment desirably isof uniform width along the entire periphery of the body member of the attachment, and with the exception of the hereafter described bolt-receiving portions, the parts of thisbody memberwhich are radially inward of the said :bead front and adjacent to the latter are offset rearwardly to enhance the air inlet aperture corresponding in size to the total area of the closed blades of the shutter, three edges of which opening are indicated at A in Fig. 1.

Since the air admitting core 6 usually has above it and lower water tank 12 below 1t, (as shown in Figs. 4. and 5), the upper and lower edges A of the opening in the body member or framing part of my shutter attachment desirably are a proximately at the same height as the bottom of the upper and the tank respectively, as shown in the same figures. And since this spacing of the said aperture A from the top and bottom of the body and 14: of considerable height respectively above the said aperture, I desirably improve the appearance of this member by forming horizontal beads 15 and 16 respectively adjacent to the upper and lower edges ture, and by emb bketvgeen each bead and the ad acent end of t e shutter blades 17 of the attachment as these blades appear when closed. Thus embossed,

the upper portion 13 and the lower portion 14 each form dummy shutter-extension panels. The lower. dummy panel portion desirably also has a flange-bordered perforation 18 cranking the car.

The lateral edges ture in the body member of my shutter attachment desirably are disposed near the adjacent upright edge bead 9, so as to provide a maximum width for the air inlet, thereby leaving only a narrow and inconspicuous Figs. 1 to 6 inclu- 7 top of the lower water 7 A oftheair inlet aperboss 33 of larger radius than the cap nut 32,.

' providing two pairs riser strip 19 between this bead and each upright edge of. the opening. In pressing the body member of the attachment, I also ,form' alrearwardly extending flange 20 along each of the four edges of the aperture A, thereby of parallel stiffening flanges disposed afterthe manner of frame members bordering the said aperture.

When the shutter blades are to beuprig'ht, each horizontal stiffening flange 20A can be perforated for journaling the pins 21 on blade brackets 22, each of which has one end of a shutter blade 17 fastened to it, as shown in Fig.2 and each of the upright stiffening flanges 20B;can bedisposed for engaging the outward edge-of one of the sidemost shutter;

blades "when the shutter is closed, as shown in Fig. '3. Hence the integral flanges on the body member'of my attachment efiectively form both a frame and a support for the shutter blades, so that no separately manufactured shutterframe is'required. v

To fasten my shutter attachment detachably to the radiator front, I providea plurality of clamping means extending through spaced'portions ofthe body member of my attachment adjacent to the peripheral edge of the said member, each of these clamping means being designed for engaging a rearwardly facing portionof the radiator front when tightened.

. For this purpose I desirably provide the border portion of this body member with a plurality of perforations (Fig. 10) through each of. which theshank- '31. of a hook bolt extends,these perforations prefer- Jably being symmetrically disposed-es for hooking of the hook shank 31.

' an adequate bearing To permit the use of such hook-type fas tening means without separating their parts and reassembling them, I dispose the perforations 30 so that the bolt shanks will extend close to the inward edge of the flange 5 of the radiator front. I also widen the adjacent portion of the beadlfront 9 at the edge of the body' member of my attachment to form a as shown in Figs. 3 and10,thereby securing "stifiening the adjacent frontal portion of my I attachmentto prevent the tightening of the fastening means from ,flexing this portion.

, toward the bead [bend extends parallel to the adjacent nut an adequate distance,

for the said'nut and also Owing to this stifiening, the flexing strain due to a severe tightening of each nut comes on the adjacent part of the recurved edge portion of the body member of my attachment and will cause the inner flange 8 9 whichconceals it. Consethev resiliency of this recurved edge quencly,

portion acts after the manner of a spring washer toprevent the tightened bolt from loosening, so that no locknuts orother auxiliary provisions be shipped and handled as a unit with the hook-bolt andnut assemblies in their proper positions, and with the bolt shanks threaded only part way into the nuts. WVhen thus loose, each bolt is initially turned so that its edge of the body member, thereby permitting the hook portions of all of the bolts to be inserted simultaneously through the opening in the ra- (Fig. 6) to be flexed are required for this purpose. I Thus arranged, my shutter attachment candiator front, after the manner shown in Fig.

6. Bythus disposing the bolts so that their shanks allextend close to the edges of the said opening,l also 'caus' these bolts to aline the outer edge of my attachment substantially (bordered by the 0&

with the annular recess setting portion 1B), so that the border of my attachment is automatically andjinstantly guided to a position inwhich it sockets in that v recess.

Each nut in a direction which will swing the tip of the'hook past the adj acent rearwardly directed flange on the radiatorfront (such asthe is next rotated a iquarter turn flange 5 in Fig. 6), and when the body of the attachment is thereafter drawn ward the hook portions all hook over the said flangeson the radiator front; after which a tightening of'all nuts effects a firm, non-rat tling and non-loosening fastening of my atslightly fortachment to the said front. By revers ng the procedure namely by first loosening each then pushing the nut and bolt against the attachment and there-' after rotating each nut and bolt a full quarter turnmy leased from the radiator front and slidjofl the latter. Hence my simple and cheap arrangement permits an expeditious affixing and removing of the entire shutter attachment, all effected entirely from the front.

When the guard portion of is to be a grille, I border the (which is shown in Figs. 12 posed of relatively woven wires an with aframe formed sothat it will likewise fit into, and be centered by, the opening-bordering annular recess in-the radiator front, and I provide hook assemblies disposed for functioning as previously described. e For example, in Fig.13, the woven grille fabric 8A iscli 'ched between recurved inner webs 35 extendingbetween' the main webs grille fabric my attachment and 13 as comtransverse and inter-,

. webs.

of a channel-sectioned binding 36, and a wing 37 on a bolt-receiving member is also clinched between the outer face of the grille fabric and the more forward one of the said inner This bolt-receiving member has a forwardly embossed and perforated portion 38 (corresponding to the boss 33 in F ig.. 10) of suificient height to present its front face forwardly of the said channel binding, thereby permitting a ready tightening of a nut 32 which bears against this front face of this boss. This nut engages the forward end of a hook bolt which has its hook portion 39A of sufiicient reach to hook over the flange 5 on the radiator front, so that the fastening of the grille attachment to that front is accomplished just as with, the shutter attachment.

Iowever, while I have heretofore described desirable shell, and. also of my interchangeable shutter and grille attachmental do not wish to be limited to the particular details and arrangements thus disclosed, since many changes might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims. 7

For example, I do not wish to be limited to the use of an annular recess directly surrounding the opening in the shell or other radiator front for centering the attachment, as many other arrangements of relatively interengaging parts on the radiator front and on thebody member (or frame) of a shutter attachment or other guard attachment will serve the same purpose.

Thus, Fig. 7 shows the radiator front as having the portion adjacent to its opening dished forwardly to present a flange 40 which faces radially outward of the said opening and over which flange a rearwardly extending flange 41 at the edge of the border portion 42 of the shutter-carrying body member will hook. Fig. 8 shows a modification for the same purpose, in which the inter-engaging portions of the radiator front and of the frame of the'shutter attachment are of arcuate section, so that the assembly presents a forwardly curved bead effect such as may be preferred by some.

F ig. 9 shows still another variation, namely one in which the radiator front 43 is provided with a forwardly open groove 44 for ceiving an edge bead 45 on the frame of the attachment.

Since each o-f'the above described arrangements of inter-engaging and centering pros visions can easily and cheaply be manufactured so as to insure a firm, noirrattling joint between the radiator front and the attachment, no auxiliary cushioning-such as has often been required in connection with shutter attachments applied to the fronts of the heretofore customary radiator shells-4s required So also, when a car has a radiator front withformations adapted to be engaged attachments structural details of my radiator V is a shutter,

bycorrespondingly shaped formations on a guard attachment, a wide variety of such can afterwards he affixed interchangeably to the same radiator front without requiring any change in the latter. Thus, the user of the car can not only exchange the initial shutter attachfferent design such as may correspond to the prevailin mode.

With my 0 amping bolts disposed so that these all extend close to the edge of the airadmitting aperture, the shank of each such bolt can bear for a considerable portion of its length against one of the rearwardly directed ranges on the radiator front, as shown in *igs. 3, 7 and 8, hence these bolt shanks alone may be adequate for nicely centering the at- Hence I do not Wish to be limited to the auxiliary providing of interengaging portions 011 the radiator front and the attachment, although I preferably also provide such interlocking formations both for enhancing the appearance and the tightness of the oint bcmay have only having its rearward for. direct engagement housing portion 44, as

When the with a hood or other indicated in Fig. 11. guard member of my attachment a suitable shutter-actuating mechanism can also be fastened to this same singlepiece body member, as for example by welding a lever-carrying fork 24 to the rear face of the upper blade-simulating panel front portion 13, as shown in Fig. 4, which work supports levers and links connecting the shutteractuating bar 25 of Fig. -2 with a shutter-op erating rod 26 extending through a tube 27 mounted in the upper water tank.

Since the shutter-actuating mechanism employed for this purpose forms no part of my present invention, I am not here describing it However,it will be obvious from Fig. 4 that the entire shutter operating mechanism, even including can initially be assembled on the her or effective frame) ily be detached, thereby permitting speedy adjustments or repairs when needed, without also removing the radiator front after the portion 43A disposed front, member tions of the said through the said manner heretofore required with shutters mounted to operate between the radiator front and the core. f I r I'claim as my invention: Q 1

1. An assemblage for use in front of the radiator core of an automobile, comprising a sheet metal. front member spaced .forward-' ly from the core and having a panel opening for admitting air to the said core, and having rearwardly directed flanges extending part way toward the core along each edge of the said opening; a detachable guard member of greater area than. the said opening and having portions of the guard] member in rearward engagement with portions of the radially outward .of the; said' opening; and releasable clamping means carried by the guard member and in hooking en; gagement with the said flanges.

QQAn assemblage as per claim 1, including stiffening strips secured to'the outward faces of the said flanges and each engaged" by the clamping means conjointly with the flange to whi h it is secured.

3. For use forwardly of the radiator core of an automobile, a sheet metal front member of larger height and width than the said core, the said front member having a-pane opening and having a rearwardly offset portion bordering the opening; a guard member of. greater area than the said opening, and having its peripheral portion bearing against and approximating in contour to the said offset portion; and hook members ex tending through the guard member and hookingly engaging rearwardly facing porfront member for clamping the guard member against the said front member, the hook members extending opening and being movable into and out of eng'ageable relation to the said front member by relatively consecutive longitudinal and rotational movements of the hook members.

4. An assemblage of a front member, a guard member, and clamping means as per claim 1, in which the front member has rearwardly extending flanges at opposite sides of its said opening; and in which the clamping means comprise hook members extending through the guard member, the hook members being bodily detachable from the front member conjointly with the guard member, each hook member having a hook portion in hooking engagement with arearwardly facing portion of the front member; each hook member also having a shank portion closely adjacent to the inward face ofone of the said flanges, whereby thesaid shanks will guide the guard member into alinement with the said offset portion of the front member during the attaching of the guard member.

1 5., For use in connection withthe radiator core of an automobile,a finishing assembly suitable for use at all weather temperatures,

eral port on: adapted to bear rearwardly general plane of the said alongside and V 'tachment and the grille attachment eachhavv the opening in this the attachment with respect to to, the opening in comprising: a radiator shell; and a shutter attachment and a' grille attachment interchangeably attachable to the radiator shelll from the front of the said shell; the shell including a frontspaced forwardly from thesaid core and provided with an air inlet opening, and flanges extending alongside and above the coreythe shutter attachment and the grille attachment each having a periphagainst the shell frontadjacent to the open-:-

ing in this=front; the said two attachments having fram'esiof counterpartshape and size,

and the shell front having an annular formation adapted to engage the annular deforma tion on either ;of the said two attachments to prevent a shiftingof the attachment in the front with respect to this front; and clamping means associated with each attachment for clamping the latter tothe shell front. v

r 6; F or use in connection with the radiator core .of an automobile, a finishing assembly suitable foruse atallweather temperatures-; comprising; a radiator shell; and a shutter attachment and a grille I ttachment interchangeably attachable to the radiator shell 1 from the front of the said shell; the shell in-' thereof freely cluding a front having all parts the said" spaced forwardly fromvthesaid core,

front being provided with anair inlet opening,and the shellincluding flanges extending above the core; the shutter ating a peripheral portion adapted to bear rearwardly against the front; the said two at; tachments having their said peripheral por v tions of counterpart shape and size, and the shell front having an annular shoulder formation adapted to be riphera'l edge of either attachment to center the shell front; and clamping'me'ans associated with, each attachmentfor clamping the attachment to the shell front; c i "7. For use in connectionwith the radiator shell front adjacent to p core of [an automobile, a finishing assembly suitable, for use at all weather temperatures, comprising a radiator shell; and a shutter attachment. and. a; grille attachment interchangeably attachable to the radiator shell from the front of the said shell; the shell in-.,

cludi'ng a frontspaced forwardly from-the said core and provided. with an air inlet opening, and flanges e 'tending alongside and above the core; a shutter attachment and, the grille attahment each having a peripherallportion' adapted to bear'rearwardly against the shell front adjacent I this front; the said two attachments each being of larger area than the "said opening, andeach including a series offattachingmembers disposed for exo5 engaged by the pe' tending through the said opening closely adjacent/to the edge of the opening so as to center either attachment upon the said shell front. 8. A frontal finishing assembly for the radiator core of an automobile. comprising: a shell including a shell front spaced forwardly from the said core, and shell flanges extending alongside and above the core, the front being provided with anopening and having an annular flange extending rearwardly from the edge .of the opening part way toward the core; a detachable member including a plate having an opening alinin 3 with the said opening in the shell front, an having its peripheral portion bearing rearwardly against the said front, and a guard supported by the said plate and extendin across the opening in the plate; and plura l means actuable from in front of the detachgaging the rear ed e of the said rearwardl extending annular flangeon the shell, the said means being distributed around the said opening and each thereof being actuable by relatively consecutive longitudinal and rotational movements of a part thereof for fastening an attachment to the shell front or permitting a detaching from the shell front.

9. In an enclosure for a radiator core, a front spaced forwardly from the core and having an opening therein; a guard attach- 3 'ment comprising a frame having its edge portions extending radially of the opening beyond the latter and having frame portions engaging the forward face of the said front; a guard mounted in the frame and extending Tacross the opening in the frame; the frame having a plurality of perforations adjacent to and radially inward of the edge of o ening in the said front; hook members each having its shank extendingthrough one of the said perforations and through the opening in the said front, and having its hook portion movable by rotation of-the said shank into and out of a position in which this hook portion will engage a rearwardly facing por- I tion of the said front; and nuts each threaded on the forwardend of the shank of each hook member and engaging the forward face of the frame for drawing the said shank forwardly. r

' 10. A radiator front and guard assembly as per claim 9, in which the frame has a peripheral bead projecting forwardly from the adjacent portions of the frame, and in which 7 so the bead portions through which the bolt shanks extendare forwardly embossed.

11. A radiator front and guard assembly as, per claim 9, in which the frame has a peripheral bead projecting forwardly fromrthe of the attachment shanks extend widened radially Signed at Clev adjacent portions of the frame, and in which ma i are forwardly embossed and of the guard frame. eland, Ohio, July 18, 1931.

L E B. GREEN. 

